Live and work in harmony with technology
Your Laptop is a Productivity Black Hole (and what to do about it)
When was the last time you lived without your computer? A couple of weeks ago, my MacBookPro started acting up. The audio was freezing intermittantly, which would cause the whole computer to lock up. As you can imagine, this was not helpful for running my online...
How to Focus When You're Reading Online
The web is a busy place. And I'm not talking about traffic. I'm talking about all of the distractions that we find littered across the sidebars, headers and footers of the world. The distractions yell at us: BUY NOW. SEE WHAT YOUR FRIENDS ARE DOING. FOLLOW US. All of...
Are You Getting Ignored? Learn How to Get Noticed
Today on Cloud Coach, we’re going to do something different. I’ll be reviewing the book Get Noticed, by Marcus Taylor and Rob Lawrence. Rob is an online acquaintance of mine that I met through Ariel Hyatt’s Music Success in 9 Weeks Challenge- a boot camp on how to...
How to Live In Harmony With Your Passwords
The shift to the cloud has made our lives easier. Online services are replacing things that our computers used to do, and to take advantage, all you have to do is sign up. Along with all of these new logins, comes more passwords. What's a “connected” person to do? The purpose of this article is to teach you how to live in harmony with your passwords using a fantastic free password manager called LastPass.
From The Cloud, Spotify Adds a Soundtrack To Your Life
If you've read this blog for long, you know that music is one of my passions and that it's one of the most important things to me. And what better way to fulfill the Cloud Coach mission of living and working in harmony with technology then to tell you about a new...
Use Your Smart Phone To Remind You Of Your Dreams
What do you do when you want something? When you have a goal, how do you remind yourself of it? My friend owns a Yoga retreat, and once a month (at the full moon) she throws a potluck party. It is a gathering of friends with a purpose; to set their intentions for the...
How to Install WordPress and Launch a Website in One Weekend
How would you like to design and launch your own WordPress blog in a single weekend? You heard me. I’m going to guide you step by step through launching your very own WordPress blog from scratch. We’ll cover everything from buying a domain name and hosting to installing WordPress and finding a visual design for the site. When people who are new to having their own website hear WordPress, they think “Complicated”. But I believe that this is a wonderful platform that can be learned by anyone. This will be extremely detailed because I want you to be able to follow along.
Digital Clutter: Does it Really Exist?
One of the books that has been a big influence on me in the last year is Clutter Busting by Brooks Palmer. Palmer is a profound writer, who's “day job” is going around helping people get rid of the stuff that's holding them back. In the book, he teaches the clutter busting process through personal stories and experiences he shares with tender and loving detail. Along with the physical space this stuff takes up in our lives, Palmer is illuminating when it comes to the emotional clutter that is attached to the physical. Seeing something from your past can bring up a strong emotional reaction, especially when it's tied to something negative.
What Does It Really Mean to be Empowered By Technology?
On a day to day basis, I use technology to support my life. My social world, work, and entertainment all rely on some form of technology. And you are no different. It would be nearly impossible to find someone who's life doesn't involve some kind of technology. But in my reality, the technology is invisible.
How to Not Lose Everything: The Importance of Backing Up
I knew the situation was bad when he called a second time. My brother doesn't usually have any urgent situations, but today was different. When I finally got him on the phone, I asked him what was wrong. "I'm sooooo fucked!" Uh oh. His (vintage) iBook had been acting...
Traveling Light: The Technology You Need To Take Your Life On The Road
[Editors Note: This post is from 2011] Starting on Saturday, September 10th, I will be embarking on an epic journey: Bicycling from Vancouver, BC to San Francisco CA. I'll be carrying everything I need with me on the bicycle, like camping gear, food, and clothes. I've...
How To Fire Your Secretary (You) and Reclaim Your Time
Do you spend time filing things? Organizing? Categorizing? Manually looking through items to find the one you need? You are your own secretary, and it's gobbling up your time.